Selby celebrates £430k high street boost

Selby celebrates £430k high street boost

SELBY has received a £430,000 boost to help the town's people and businesses "bring new life to their historic high street."

It follows a successful bid for government money from Selby District Council.

The money is part of a £95million fund announced over the weekend for historic town centres across the UK.

The funding is designed to help town centres better compete with online outlets and adapt to the changing ways in which we shop.

Selby District Council put together a bid for part of this money, as part of its work to support the district's market towns.

The council says this follows its investment in events such as the Tour de Yorkshire and Selby 950 to raise the profile of Selby town centre, creating high street experiences that encourage visitors and support local businesses.

District council leader, Cllr Mark Crane, commented: "This is about making the most of what we've got in Selby, which has a fantastic historic centre including our magnificent Abbey. We've been using our position to help draw-in events and funding to raise the profile of Selby as a great place to live and visit. Our bid for this funding is part of a series of work to revitalise our district's town centres."

The council worked closely with Historic England, businesses and communities in the area to pull together the successful bid.

The next step is for the council to continue to work with others to draw up detailed plans for exactly what the money will be spent on and when.

Trevor Mitchell, regional director for Historic England, said: “High streets are right at the heart of our communities. It’s fantastic news for the people and businesses of Selby that they will receive this much needed boost to help them bring new life to their historic high street.

“Our high streets face many challenges, with some historic buildings underused and down at heel, but with a little investment and imagination they can be transformed into vibrant places that attract new businesses and other new uses. Historic high streets have a crucial role to play in delivering economic growth and attractive environments in which we can live, work and play. Historic England is looking forward to working with the local community in Selby on this exciting historic high street project.”

High streets minister Rt Hon Jake Berry MP added: “Towns across the Northern Powerhouse have a unique and rich history and cultural tapestry that local communities are rightly proud of. This initiative, boosted with £95million in support from our Future High Streets Fund, will be vital for northern towns in unlocking more of their huge potential.

“By restoring beautiful historic buildings for modern use, whole communities will benefit and high streets can flourish for years to come.”

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